Scarred
by lori51
Summary: It was late and everyone was gone except for his team. And none of them were going to be going anywhere anytime soon. He hated this case. Really, really hated it. And after so many years on the job, that was saying something. Gibbs/OC.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I think Gibbs may have been holding my muse hostage in his basement all summer, because all she came up with were a myriad of stories starring my favorite Marine. This is the only one that survived the crash of my hard drive, however, so until the others decide to make a re-appearance, we'll just go with this one.

**Author:** Lori51

**Disclaimer:** Gibbs is not mine. :(

**Category:** Gibbs/OC

**Drama/Romance**

**Summary: **It was late and everyone was gone except for his team. And none of them were going to be going anywhere anytime soon. He hated this case. Really, _really_ hated it. And after so many years on the job, that was saying something.

**Timeline:** Sometime during Ziva's tenure

**One**

Leroy Jethro Gibbs leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs restlessly and finally lifting them to rest his feet on his desk. It was late and everyone was gone except for his team. And none of them were going to be going anywhere anytime soon. He hated this case. Really, _really_ hated it. And after so many years on the job, that was saying something.

He stared at his phone as if waiting for it to ring. As if he could make it ring through the sheer force of his own will. He kept staring, getting more and more pissed when it didn't ring.

Cursing under his breath, he swung his legs down and opened his desk drawer, taking out his flask. He stared at it, like he always did, absorbing the familiar inscription there. He unscrewed the lid, the familiar smell of bourbon wafting through the air. And then he cursed again, screwing the lid back on and replacing it, shoving the drawer shut as if that act would remove the temptation of its contents. He couldn't afford it tonight. He needed to be a hundred percent for this Marine who was out there, somewhere, probably being tortured right now.

_Damn it!_ He _really _hated this case. He didn't have to look at the screen to see her face. It was already embedded in his brain, along with that of her children. At her house today, he had looked into the blue, blue eyes of those kids, and seen himself at that age. Soldiers' kids had to grow up way too fast sometimes. These kids had already buried their father. They weren't going to bury their mother, too. Not if he could help it.

And the circumstances… well, he pretty much hated them, too. They hit far too close to home. Wrong place, wrong time. Katherine Murphy was a former Marine drill sergeant who'd served her twenty, went to medical school, and become an ER doctor. And that was a really quick way of saying she'd been through a lot. As a civilian, she'd married a Marine officer, had three children, lost her husband in combat and been nearly killed by a drunk driver in a horrendous accident that had taken the life of her youngest son. And, more recently, been in the wrong place at the wrong time and treated a man who Gibbs and the team believed to be a high-ranking cartel boss.

Five men with machine guns in all black had stormed her home, intending on executing all inhabitants, including the kids, the sister, and the sister's young children, until Dr. Murphy had quickly offered the information that had been given her by the dying man if her family was left alive. The sister, Cassandra Hollings, was pretty sure she was bluffing, since she hadn't mentioned anything like that to her. As far as she knew, her sister had treated the man and lost him on the table. End of story. She would have nothing to give them, because there was nothing to give. He could still see the look in her eyes. She was pretty sure her sister was already dead. She was another Marine wife, and probably just about as tough as her sister. She didn't pull her punches, and there were no tears. Straight and to the point.

He was still hoping that Abby might get something he could use from the many blood spatters found at the scene. It was obvious that Dr. Murphy had fought, and fought hard. The clearest picture they had of her was from her service record, but he had the report from the car accident, and he imagined that she looked much different now. They'd basically had to put her back together again, and it had been just plain luck that a donor match had come through at the same time that she needed multiple organ transplants.

Finding the strength to go on after living through something like that… Gibbs just shook his head. If anyone could survive the torture she was probably undergoing at the moment, it was this woman. And there was no way he would sleep, or numb himself with alcohol, until they found her.

Sighing, he opened her service record again. Katherine Murphy, Katherine McNeil during her time in the service, apparently didn't hear the word "quit." At a time when just about anything would have been easier than being a woman in the Marine Corps, she had kicked some serious ass. While the physical requirements at the time had been much less for females than their male counterparts, this Marine had refused to acknowledge the lesser standard and had beat most of the men in every respect. She was a highly decorated Marine, and had just about shattered every glass ceiling there was in the Corps, or anywhere else, for that matter. Her service record was exemplary.

Closing it with a sigh, he picked up the picture Cassandra Hollings had given him. It was a family portrait, taken while the family remained intact. Mom and Dad smiling behind three adorable happy kids. Major Murphy was probably about his age. He had a broad smile and the kind of face most women would probably adore. By all accounts, he'd been a stand-up guy. Gibbs' gaze lingered longer on the wife. She had fair skin and long, dark brown hair just a hair's breadth from black. And eyes that were so blue it was hard to believe they weren't man-made. He knew they had to be hers, though, because all three of her kids had that same startling blue. There was something about her…

Something was familiar about her. He felt like he should know her but he couldn't figure out why. He knew they'd never crossed paths. He would have remembered a face like that. He was pretty sure anyone would. She was strikingly beautiful, an attribute that would have made her career as a Marine that much more difficult, as he well knew. She had a heart-shaped face, a long, straight nose, and those eyes… they seemed to bore into his soul. As striking as they were, even then she carried the world in those eyes. He wondered how much more he would see if he looked into him now.

Unable to place her and starting to get disturbed by it, he glanced at the kids. The oldest two were only a year apart, probably about five and six in this picture, and the youngest was a babe in his mother's arms. Quick calculations told him that the Major had died not long after this was taken, and the car accident had come about a year and a half later. His eyes focused on the baby, just a few months old here. His gummy smile made Gibbs' heart hurt a little, knowing as he did what would happen to him, what had happened to him. Even the older kids seemed to have aged decades from the carefree smiling kids in this portrait. They had already been through so much. The boy, Jake, had asked him politely to please find his mother. "We aren't ready to let go of her yet, sir," he had said solemnly, and Gibbs had nodded. No one ever was. He knew that from painful experience.

The ones he'd loved and lost scrolled through his mind then, and his heart stuttered. He looked back at the smiling face of Katherine Murphy. His mind had finally pinpointed what it was that was bugging him. Aside from those vibrantly blue eyes, the doctor was a dead ringer for Special Agent Caitlin Todd.

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

Two

Dr. Katherine Murphy stared at her laughing captors with narrowed eyes. She was walking a fine line and she knew it. Right now her caustic responses to their questions amused them. Pretty soon she would go too far and piss them off; it was just a matter of time. There was no way around it; it was her nature. It was not a good idea to piss these guys off before the cavalry arrived or before she got herself free, which ever happened first. She'd keep telling herself that.

Right now she was liking Plan B. The idiots had used rope on her hands. And the one who'd tied her didn't know shit about knots. She'd almost undone them, and that was after working at them all afternoon and evening right in front of them. It would have been a helluva lot quicker if she didn't have to be covert about it. With every new movement and action by each of the men, scenarios worked themselves constantly through her mind. She had a photographic memory, and an analytical mind. She recorded everything, and then sifted through it all to find patterns that she could use.

So far, she'd been treated with kid gloves. Well, relatively speaking. She had a busted lip, a multitude of cuts and bruises, one of which was a long gash the idiot who couldn't tie knots had opened on her cheekbone. It had bled profusely but she didn't think it was all that bad. She was a little worried about her orbital bone, however. She was pretty sure it was at least cracked, if not crushed altogether. She could no longer open that eye at all. They had laughed and told her she'd never be pretty again, and she'd just smiled grimly. She already looked like Frankenstein's monster; they could do their worst.

And this was nothing, _nothing_, compared to the damage that drunk driver had done. At least she knew her kids were safe. Nothing was more important than that. She trusted Cassie to keep them safe. She would get through this. She had to. Quitting was not an option.

Her family filled her mind. Little Mattie who was gone far too soon. She focused on her memories of him, channeling her thoughts away from her pain and to an agony of a different sort altogether. She replayed the pictures in her mind like she was looking at a home movie. He'd been such a good baby: so sweet, calm and happy. He could light a room with that smile. She remembered his first tooth, his first steps, his first word. "Mama," of course. He had brought so much laughter and sunshine to her life. She refused to think of him as he'd looked at the end. Just refused.

And yet, her mind wouldn't stop firing off pictures. She'd been conscious, for a little while, and she'd looked over and seen him, still locked into his car seat. She shut her eyes tightly against that image. She hadn't even been able to go to his funeral. The pain hit her then, hard, a sharp right hook to her heart.

She thought of Jake, her oldest son, so tall and handsome now. Kid grew like a weed. He was a very serious kid, much like his father. He was a genius with a computer, and she prayed every day that he wouldn't hack into something that would end up sending them all to prison. She thought of his partner in crime, her daughter, just a year younger than Jake. Samantha was her mini-me. Down to her balls-to-the-wall outlook on life. Sammy was as much of a tomboy as her mother. Whatever anybody did, she had to do them one better. She could throw harder, hit harder, and do more sit-ups, more pull-ups and more push-ups than any boy in her class. Katherine smiled, seeing her gorgeous headstrong daughter in her mind's eye. Her little girl wanted to be a Navy pilot. And then an astronaut. And as smart as her baby girl was, she had to doubt that she would do whatever she set her mind to do.

And, by God, she was damn sure planning on being around to see it.

She lifted her chin and surveyed the opposition casually. There was only one that would pose any real threat to her. The others she knew she could disable without a problem. She was confident that she could disable him as well. But he was the sadistic one she needed to watch out for. She almost smiled. They looked at her, and all they saw was a doctor. And a woman. They had no idea she was a Marine. She almost felt bad not telling them outright. Almost. Not only that, but she'd been raised by men in an all-male household, except for Cassie. The gene for giving up, gracefully or otherwise, was nowhere present in her genetic makeup.

And as for torture, really, her kids could have done better. Assuming she had a woman's vanity, they had aimed for her face, instead of disabling her and keeping her from walking out of here or fighting back, when the time came. She had almost laughed out loud. They thought _that _would bother her? Lord knew her face, or the rest of her, for that matter, wasn't much to look at these days. She had long lived with the fact that no man would ever look at her like that again.

Not that she was complaining, because she had expected to actually have to work to keep herself from talking. Not that she had anything of true value to spill. Javier had given her a message to pass on to his family, in Witness Protection. He hadn't even told her their location. He had been set to testify, and hitting him had probably done what it was designed to do. As hard as she had worked to save his life, it hadn't been enough. He had still died on her table. She didn't take any loss lightly. Each one was a defeat, unacceptable in her book.

She kept her eyes—eye, really—on her enemy. It was only a matter of time now.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

**Three**

**Disclaimer: Not mine**

Gibbs was getting impatient. The waiting was killing him. His phone rang and he grabbed it. "Gibbs."

It was Tony, who had been left behind at the Murphy residence on protection detail. "There was another attempt, boss. Two guys this time. I think they came for the kids."

Gibbs growled. "Did you get them?"

"Negative, boss. They got away. I got the plate number, though. McGee's working on it."

"Get them out of there, DiNozzo. Take the sister and her children to a hotel. Make sure you're not followed."

"You got it, boss. What about Dr. Murphy's kids? Do you think they'll be okay with the sister?"

"No, DiNozzo, I don't. Bring them here. We'll take over protection for the kids."

There wasn't much he could do for this woman until they found her. But, damn it, _this_ he could do. The kids being with the sister made her that much more vulnerable. And he knew that Katherine Murphy would be extremely pissed if something happened to her sister because she was watching out for her children. Not that it would make it her fault, but the woman would blame herself. He knew he would.

"You got it, boss. We'll be there shortly."

When they arrived, his decision had already been made. While he knew this building was secure, so was his house. And he could defend it a whole lot better. Not to mention, these poor kids had to be as on edge as he was. They needed some off time. He looked at his team, standing tall at one a.m., ready to do whatever he asked. Pride for them filled his chest. A finer group of people he had never known, and he included Special Agent Caitlin Todd in their number automatically. She was there with them in spirit.

"Go home, all of you. Get some rest. I expect you back here at 0800 and we'll get this done." He looked at the two tall pre-teens standing just outside the circle of his team. "You two, come on. You're coming home with me." Two heads nodded solemnly, two sets of deep blue eyes boring into his. He often thought that Marine kids were a breed apart, tough and proud and stoic, when they had never made the decision to enlist. They did what they had to do for their country anyways, without complaint. These kids were no exception. He thought briefly of Kelly, and wished there had been a Marine to watch out for her in his absence. Well, he was here, now, and he was determined that these two wouldn't share her fate.

Once at home, he locked his doors, for once. He gave them free run of the place, though he knew they probably wouldn't sleep. Who could, knowing their mother was out there, somewhere? They stood unmoving in his living room, sharing a glance, and he finally shrugged. "I'll be downstairs," he said gruffly.

Jake spoke up. "May we join you, sir?"

Gibbs looked at him. "Yeah, and don't call me sir. It's Gibbs, or Jethro."

The two looked at each other and grinned, the first he had seen from them all day. "You sound just like my mom, Jethro," Sammy told him as they followed him down the steps to his basement.

Gibbs had to smile. He liked this woman already.

They were sharp kids, and quick learners, Gibbs thought, as they quickly took to sanding without complaint. They worked steadily for hours, until he looked up to find both of them sound asleep under his boat. Not for the first time, he wished he had had kids with one of his ex-wives. And yeah, maybe if he'd been able to heal to that extent, they wouldn't all be exes. At least step-kids would have been nice, though.

He'd always liked kids, and he'd loved being a dad. He supposed it was too late for him now. He was too old and set in his ways. But these were good kids, and he liked them very much. And they obviously liked him. Maybe their mother would let them come over from time to time. They'd seemed to enjoy working on the boat. He'd ask her, once they found her. And they would find her. He just hoped it wouldn't be too late when they did.

He left them where they were and ascended the stairs wearily, flopping down onto the couch without bothering with a shower and a change of clothes. Morning would come soon enough, and he had work to do. One way or another, he was bringing Dr. Katherine Murphy home.

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

Four

Disclaimer: NCIS characters to not belong to me.

In the early hours of the morning, Katherine was ready to go. There were only two men still with her, and while she knew the others were probably still in the house somewhere, the odds that they may be sleeping or otherwise distracted were too great for her to ignore. Quietly she rose to her feet, keeping her hands behind her back, the now-unknotted rope held between them.

Swiftly she moved behind one without warning, the rope appearing around his throat instantly as she yanked hard, pulling it taut as he struggled. His partner pulled his gun and fired wildly, giving her plenty of time to jerk the body of the man in her grasp in front of her as a shield. It worked perfectly as three bullets sunk deep, one of them unfortunately a through-and-through, burying itself in her hip upon its exit. She grunted with the pain, hoping and fervently praying that this scumbag didn't carry any nasty blood-borne pathogens even as she was shoving him out of the way and launching herself at the startled gunman. The gun clattered to the floor as her fist connected solidly with the man's nose, blood spraying both of them. He fought back desperately and she kept coming, propelling her knee into his groin, stomach and abused nose in quick succession, letting him fall to the ground and scooping up his gun in one motion, three shots rendering him writhing in agony on the floor but, hopefully, alive enough to stand trial.

The door burst open and she fired without hesitation, taking out the three men who barreled in before they could get a shot off. As they fell, all was silent. If there were more, they knew better than to show themselves. She picked up their guns and went out the door soundlessly, the pain of her injuries nothing more than an afterthought in the wake of her current mission, which was to get herself the hell out of here.

She moved through the house as stealthily as possible without the use of her left eye and pain shooting through the right side of her body. Her right hip was sluggish by this point, and she was dragging her right leg behind her. No matter. She was almost out of here. There were more, though. She knew they were here, somewhere. She debated searching the house room by room to take out the rest, and decided the hell with it. She was losing a lot of blood. She was lightheaded and having trouble seeing straight, which may very well affect her aim. She needed to get the hell out of here. Now.

She was approximately ten steps from the front door when she approached the last corner, and he was there before she could react. There was a gun barrel at her temple and a knife at her throat. The man attached to them was not one of the idiots who had taken her. He was, more than likely, running this show. And the look on his face said that not only was he unhappy with the fact that she still ambulatory, but that he was more than happy to correct that oversight. Immediately.

Damn it. This was her own fault. And it was really going to hurt.

ooooo

Gibbs was up early. A few hours sleep was all he could stand. He shouldn't be sleeping now. He should be out there looking for Katherine Murphy. Her children were up early as well, looking somber in the morning light. "Hey," he told them, pausing on the way into the building, "I _will_ find her. My team is the best there is. We _will _get her back."

They nodded, their blue eyes deep and serious, putting their trust in him absolutely. This man was a force to be reckoned with. They could see it in his eyes. He was like their mom; he didn't know the meaning of the word "quit."

He sent them directly down to Ducky. He wanted to talk to his team without them listening. It had to be hard to hear, and he didn't want them to have to go through that, even as he didn't trust anyone to keep them safe but himself, and his team.

There were several faces up on the screen that he didn't recognize. "What have we got?" he asked without even a perfunctory greeting. There wasn't time for that now. Time was their friend on very few cases, but especially so in this case. He looked at her picture and saw a determined, tough Marine. And that was before she had kids. He was willing to bet this woman would wipe out an army to get back to her kids if she had to. He was really hoping it wouldn't come to that.

Tony spoke up. "Abby got some hits on the blood, boss. You were right. She got some hits in. We have four names of the five men who were in that house. We're running them down now, and we'll go out and pick them up."

Gibbs nodded. "Good. I want to know everything there is to know about these guys. I want to know what they ate for breakfast. I want to know where every member of their families live, work and spend their free time."

McGee nodded, already typing away. "You got it, boss."

His phone rang at his desk, and Gibbs strode across the floor to answer it. "Yeah, Abbs, what've you got?"

"I need you to come down here, Gibbs," she said, and the tone of her voice gave him pause. Abby Sciuto was the most ebullient personality he'd ever met; she sounded like she'd seen a ghost.

"Can't you just tell me on the phone?" he asked impatiently.

The disgust was plain in her voice, and it almost made him smile. "If I _could,_ don't you think I _would_, Gibbs?" Now that was the Abby he knew.

"I'll be right there, Abbs," he told her, and hung up the phone, pausing for a moment when he saw everyone was staring at him, immobile. "Well?" he demanded, not bothering to hide his ire. "Find. Me. Those. Men. NOW!" They got down to business.

"Well, Abbs, what is so important that I had to come down here myself?" he asked her, his pique plain even as he had to admit she'd peaked his interest.

Abby was looking far paler than usual. Her eyes were wide and full of emotion. She took him by the arm and dragged him to her computer, pointing. He read the words there and then looked at her in confusion. "What am I looking at, Abbs?"

"This is one of the blood spatters from the house, Gibbs. The DNA says it belongs to Special Agent Caitlin Todd."

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

Five

Disclaimer: Not mine

She had no idea what hour it was, or even what day it was. Time had lost meaning for her. She knew now that she wasn't going to see her children again. It was clear that she didn't know anything of value. If she had, she would have given it up long ago. Right now she was just serving the purpose of keeping these men amused. When that was over, she'd be dead.

She'd been keeping her mind busy with details. She'd cataloged everything she saw, everyone she saw. She had a good-sized file in her head now. Not that it was going anywhere. More than likely it would die with her, but, just in case she somehow managed to live through this, she had given herself a mission and was busy gathering and cataloging intel.

She had lost track of her own injuries. Everything hurt. Her face was the least of her worries now. He had seen to that. And if she'd thought the other guy was sadistic, he was a choirboy compared to _him_, and his buddies. They certainly knew what they were doing when it came to interrogation.

She shifted her weight the best she could in her current position, her arms chained above her head as they were, her toes barely touching the ground. Her arms had been on fire for hours. Now they were just numb. The pain in her back and her hip eclipsed all else. Somehow she still had enough feeling in her back to register the blood dripping from the open wounds, surprising since her entire back was on fire.

Suddenly she was jerked around, and her head came up in defiance. There were no more questions, however. Just more pain.

Katherine focused on a point on the wall as the horse whip that still dripped with her blood began to swing again, this time aimed at her chest instead of her back. Gritting her teeth, she smiled grimly. Her body was already a road map of scars. A few more—or a few hundred—made no difference. Keeping her eyes open with a Herculean effort, she saw her kids in her mind's eye, focusing on their faces as her blood began to run anew.

Stay. Alive. It was all she knew now. There was nothing else.

ooooo

Gibbs had dragged the rest of his team down to Abby to help them figure this out. It was Ducky who had gotten it. The dates had clicked in his head. He had picked up Dr. Murphy's medical records thoughtfully, nodding as he read. He'd looked up at Gibbs. "Well, Jethro, it seems that our Kate was an organ donor. And she lives on, or rather, many of her organs live on in the body of this young woman." He regarded Gibbs excitedly. "It's quite extraordinary, really. This woman is a walking medical miracle. She really should have died several times over from injuries this severe. Any one of them could have proved fatal, and she had them all together."

"You didn't tell me she was an organ donor, Duck," he said quietly, referring to Kate.

His medical examiner and old friend regarded him compassionately. "I didn't think you would like it, Jethro, and I wasn't going to argue with you about it. I respected that young woman's wishes."

Ducky was probably right. He wouldn't have liked it, and he was glad that the man had taken him out of the equation altogether and done as Kate had wanted. If he hadn't, he had no doubt that they wouldn't be having this conversation right now. Dr. Katherine Murphy wouldn't have survived.

Gibbs' entire countenance had hardened, thinking of her kids now. They had gone through this, more than likely been certain that their mother was going to die, watched her come back to life, fight her way back and join life again. He would be damned if they were going to lose her now.

And he was still missing something. "Someone explain this to me," he barked, shorter on patience today even than he normally was.

"I've read of instances where transplant patients' DNA has changed to that of the donor," Ducky mused thoughtfully. "Or, more accurately, the organs maintain the DNA of their donor. Never come across it personally, though."

"Kidneys, Duckman?" Abby asked quietly, drawing every eye in the room to her in the silence that followed. She nodded to the information her quick fingers had already called to her computer screen. "Because there is research to support that."

Ducky nodded slowly. "Yes. Among other things." His look turned thoughtful and he turned toward her, smiling as he saw that she had already made the leap, her fingers flying over the keys. A small smile lit her face as she confirmed, then looked back at Ducky. "Blood type," they said together, causing both Tony and Ziva to narrow their eyes. How the hell did they do that, anyway?

"It's changed," Abby said, the awe and wonder that science always inspired in her clear both in her face and in her voice. "From o positive to..."

"A positive," Ducky finished for her, drawing another look from the collective group.

"All right," Gibbs said finally. "So our Katie," he mused, and the grin that suddenly split his face was amazingly warm and affectionate, and startled all except Ducky, and maybe Abby. "Our Katie saved this woman's life eight years ago, and we're going to finish the job."

He looked at his team. "How much do we have on this cartel?"

Tony spoke up confidently. "We have all the background you wanted, boss. The FBI and the DEA both have ongoing operations to try to shut down this particular organization. They've warned us to back off."

Gibbs' look was hard. "That isn't going to happen. Tell them that this cartel is going down today. If they want in, we can do this together. If not, we do it ourselves."

"Already done, boss."

Gibbs nodded, satisfied. "Good."

He looked at McGee. "You know where they're holding her?"

"Pretty sure, boss. There are several places they could be, but I'm pretty sure I know where she is."

Gibbs' hand darted out for a head slap that made the young man wince. "You couldn't just say yes, McGee?"

Ziva was the only one that looked uncertain. "We should leave this to someone else, I think. Some other agency. This is not our job, taking down drug cartels. You cannot just take down the whole cartel, Gibbs."

His look was mild as he shrugged and walked briskly out of the lab. "Wouldn't be the first time," he threw over his shoulder, leaving his team to stare blankly at each other.

TBC...


	6. Chapter 6

Six

Disclaimer: NCIS characters are not mine.

This was taking way too long. Why didn't he just shoot her already and get it over with? She had lost track of her own injuries. Ironically, she was reminded of the stupid car accident. There were too many to name then, as well. And if some other poor soul that was a perfect match for her hadn't lost her life on the same day, she wouldn't be here now. She liked to think that there was a reason events unfolded as they did, that there was a grand plan and a reason for everything. But this… what stung even more than her own failure at escape was the fact that that poor woman's sacrifice had been in vain.

It was unacceptable. But she had little choice in the matter now. She was very near death and she knew it.

The commotion outside drew her attention, faint as it was. It sounded like gunfire. But hell, this place was a fortress. There was no way anyone was getting in here. And yet… a short time later, she heard the doorknob rattle, and then the door was kicked in in a hail of splintered wood. The figures that flooded in were a combination of what were probably agents in NCIS jackets and ball caps and Marines in fatigues and serious expressions, and the only thing that really registered was the American flag on their shoulders.

And really? They'd called in the Marines for _her_? And none of the logistics mattered right now. Right now, she could say unequivocally that these men and women and those American flags were the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

Several of them rushed to her, freeing her from the chains and lowering her carefully to the floor. She had a quick vision of the chains being the only thing still holding her together, and her body collapsing like a doll missing its stuffing as soon as they were removed. It didn't much matter, because she had no strength left with which to move. She was dependent on the kindness of strangers now, which she hated, more than anything. She didn't want these people, Marines and otherwise, seeing her like this. She'd failed. She was a disgrace of a Marine now.

And then there was a man kneeling over her, checking her pulse carefully, and she refocused her good eye with effort. She wanted to see him, needed to see him, had to thank him. Because her own failure had put him-and all these others-in harm's way, and they hadn't hesitated. She owed them for that. More than she could ever repay.

And then she had to amend her own assertion, as calm blue eyes bored into hers. Because Old Glory was now the second most beautiful thing she had ever seen. This man with his blue, blue eyes was now in first place. "You're safe now, Dr. Murphy," he told her softly, in a low, deep voice that captivated her instantly.

She struggled to find her voice. "Mmmm… my…"

"Jake and Sammy are fine, Dr. Murphy," he told her, with a warm smile, as if he knew her children, and liked them very much. "They're safe. Your sister and her children are as well."

Her eye closed as tears of relief formed, and they instantly annoyed her, but she wasn't strong enough to bat them away. "Easy there, Marine," he said, and gentle fingers were wiping away her tears, though how he could even find them in what was no doubt the mess that was left of her face, she had no idea. "It's okay." He handed his weapon to another man, and turned back to her. "This is gonna hurt like hell, but I'm getting you out of here." He gathered her in his arms and lifted her easily, and her eye closed. The pain was there, and it was pretty deafening right now, but it was quieted by the sheer relief at being lifted safely in this man's arms as he stood and carried her, literally, out of hell.

She was vaguely aware of being laid on a gurney and moved into a waiting ambulance, and she must have somehow displayed her panic at this man leaving her, because he climbed in beside her, picking up her hand carefully and holding it between both of his. "I'm here," he told her quietly. "I won't leave you."

"Boss," she heard dimly, "there's a whole room full of bodies. She took out quite a few of them."

The unmistakable pride she heard in his voice warmed her unreasonably. "Of course she did, McGee; she's a Marine."

Even as paramedics worked over her, setting up the IV and cataloging her myriad injuries, she fought to speak. She had to know his name. "Who… who…"

"NCIS, doctor. Special Agent Gibbs. We've been looking high and low for you, Dr. Murphy. I really am sorry it took us so long to find you." He had no problem breaking rule number six right now, because he meant it. And he had no words for how sorry he really was.

"Gi… G…"

"Jethro," he said quietly. "Call me Jethro." Her wan smile was his only answer as the morphine now coursing through her bloodstream did its work and gave her blissful peace.

TBC...


	7. Chapter 7

Seven

Disclaimer: NCIS characters are not mine.

It would be days before Katherine Murphy regained consciousness. Gibbs had brought her children to see her, but he refused to let them stay and watch, hour after futile hour, for any sign of change. He knew that right now her body needed to heal, and it was a matter of giving her time. So he took her children home with him.

Cassandra Hollings and her own family were cleared to return home, and she had offered to take the kids off of his hands, to which he had shrugged and said it was up to them. Jake had taken his aunt aside and told her that they liked spending time with the gruff Marine; he reminded them of the father they barely remembered, and they liked him. Cassie could understand that. She watched them with him, saw the way he spoke to them like equals, and with a rough tenderness, and she smiled to herself. Special Agent Jethro Gibbs seemed to be just what they needed, and somehow she figured they were just what he needed as well. How she knew that she had no idea.

Gibbs paced the house while she packed a bag for him to take to Kath and the kids packed bags of their own. She had noticed that he had sent someone to clean the former crime scene that was their home, and she thanked him, moved by his kindness. He just shrugged uncomfortably. "No problem, ma'am."

She imagined that he was happy with his own reputation as a grouchy bastard, because it kept his heart safe beyond those high walls he had firmly in place. Only Jake and Sammy had seemed to have no trouble breaching those barriers, and she had to wonder if her sister would be able to breach them as well. Cassie had no idea if he devoted himself so deeply to every case as he had to this one, but she had to wonder why he was so involved. He had moved heaven and earth to get her back, and had eradicated an entire drug cartel to get it done. She couldn't wait to see what her sister thought of this man.

If she could have hand-picked someone perfectly suited for her wild, stubborn, iron-willed survivor sister, it would have been this man. He was a fine looking man, she had to admit, with those blue, blue eyes that were very nearly the shade Katherine's had been once upon a time, the color her children had borne since birth. That silver hair suited his craggy, chiseled features, along with that silver stubble that proved he hadn't been home in a while, too determined to find her sister to rest. He was still fit and strong, with an iron will that she knew would match her sister's, if not surpass it, which was saying something. She knew if her sister saw this man on the street she would stop and look twice.

But she had no idea if it would be reciprocated. She had had time to pump Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo for information on his elusive boss. He'd been only too happy to tell her everything she'd wanted to know, and a lot she hadn't. Seems Leroy Jethro Gibbs had a thing for redheads, as well as three ex-wives, none of whom was too fond of him. He had a past he didn't speak of, but they knew his first wife and daughter were murdered, and he seemed to have very little by way of a personal life save his boat, his basement and his bourbon.

And he was talking softly now to her niece and nephew, who looked to be about in tears as they stared at a picture of their mother on the wall. He had his arms around both of their shoulders as he looked at the picture as well, his sharp-eyed gaze narrowed in puzzlement. Whatever the cause for his curiosity, he quelled it in favor of speaking softly to the pre-teens now reduced to children in the face of the thought of losing their mother. "Hey," he said quietly. "She's fine. They're keeping me updated. She _will _wake up. It's just gonna take some time. Why don't we go back to the house, work on the boat awhile. It'll make you feel better. Always makes me feel better," he said with a crooked smile. Well, that and the bourbon, but he wasn't sharing that.

Sammy looked up at him, staring into eyes nearly the exact shade of her own. "You promise, Jethro? You're not lying to us? We're not little kids, you know. We can handle it."

His eyes were calm and serious on hers. "You have my word." The girl nodded solemnly, accepting that without question. His blue eyes went to Jake's, brows lifting in question. The boy stared into those eyes, seeing the truth there, no doubt, and nodded.

He squeezed their shoulders warmly and then angled his head in the general direction of the door. "C'mon, get your gear." They shouldered their bags as he met Cassie's watchful gaze.

"I'll take good care of them," he said quietly, and she smiled.

"I know you will, Agent Gibbs."

"Jethro," he corrected her, and she nodded.

"Thanks for everything, Jethro."

"Nothing to thank me for, Mrs. Hollings. Just doing my job."

She cocked an eyebrow in disbelief, and he grinned, looking very boyish in that moment. "If I hear anything, I'll call you. And you have my number; call me if there's anything you need. I know the kids have their cells."

She just looked at him, thinking that he was a rare man. Gruff and grouchy, a prickly exterior, and yet her deep-thinking niece and nephew had connected with him instantly. She wondered if her tough, prickly sister would connect with him as well. It would be interesting to watch, she decided, as she showed them to the door, and watched them load up the car and drive off. Very interesting, indeed.

TBC...


	8. Chapter 8

**Eight**

**Disclaimer:** NCIS characters are not mine.

**A/N:** I'm not a doctor or a scientist, even though I have done a little research to clue me in that something like this could be, may be, theoretically possible. So, you know, if you could just go with it, that'd be great. :)

Gibbs had been called when it looked like Katherine Murphy might wake up, and he and the kids had dropped everything and come straight to the hospital, still smelling of sawdust and sweat, and his blue eyes were the first thing she saw when she woke up.

Gibbs was staring at her, willing her to wake, waiting to see her open her eyes for the first time, very glad that he had seen that picture on the wall of her house so that he was prepared. Because otherwise he would have been expecting those eyes when they opened to be the same shocking crystal-blue of her son and daughter, and the shock could have been catastrophic.

As it was, even knowing that to expect, it was a shock when she opened her eyes, and they were the same deep, melting-chocolate brown of Caitlin Todd. He had asked Jake about it, and the boy had told him that all of them had been surprised when she'd opened her eyes after the transplant surgery and they were this color, apparently changing to the hue of that of her organs' former owner. Even her personality had changed a little, Sammy had told him, but not too much. Her mom had always been a straight-up, no-bullshit, take-no-prisoners kind of woman, and she was still. Now as he looked into those eyes, he had to force himself not to see Kate in them, to remind his wandering mind that no matter how many pieces of his former agent this woman may be carrying around, this still wasn't Caitlin Todd. Kate was gone, and nothing would bring her back.

"Katherine," he said warmly as her children came close to him, their beaming smiles joining his until that same blinding blue that all of them shared made her heart stutter, just a little. "Welcome back."

Of course she remembered Jethro Gibbs. He had been the one to find her, the one to save her. She remembered registering through the haze of pain this man lifting her in his arms so carefully and carrying her out of her torture chamber, remembered clinging to him with the last of her strength, remembered him inhabiting her unconscious dreams of God-only-knew how long with his blue eyes and his casual strength and the warm look of pride in his eyes when he'd heard how hard she'd fought and answered back, "Of course she did. She's a Marine."

He stepped back now and let her beautiful children come closer, watching with a fond smile as they hugged her and kissed her and filled her in on everything that had happened. Her eyes flew to his when they spoke fondly of how Jethro Gibbs had moved heaven and earth to find her, how he'd gone without food and sleep and living his life until she was found. How he had found a safe place for their aunt and their cousins to stay but hadn't trusted anyone but himself to keep them safe, so he'd taken them home with him and guarded them himself. How he'd kept them from going crazy by enlisting them to work on the boat he was building in his basement, and even after she was found had let them stay with him, where they felt safest.

Her eyes filled as she stared at him, unable to find the words to express the gratitude that filled her to overflowing at the care with which he'd treated her children, the most precious things in the world to her. "Thank you, Jethro," she said quietly, and he stepped forward and took her hand carefully in his, as if it were his honor to do so.

"No thanks are necessary, doctor," he told her, "or should I say, Staff Sergeant," he said with a little grin that belied the infinite well-harnessed emotions that he held within the fathomless blue of his eyes. "But you're welcome." He held the weight of the world in those eyes, and she couldn't help but notice.

He turned her hand slightly so that the inside of her forearm was exposed, and smiled a little at the words she had there, as indelibly etched into her skin as they were into her heart, and his. _Semper Fi._

She understood instantly. "And what may I call you, Agent Gibbs?" It felt funny using such a formal title when in her mind she was already quite comfortable calling him Jethro. Her mind took the opportunity to remind her of some of the very explicit situations it had conjured, quite without her permission, she thought somewhat indignantly, during her frequent drug-induced periods of rest, which rushed back to her now, in which she had used his given name, quite loudly, in fact, in the heat of passion.

And it was even harder to rein in her blush when he grinned mischievously in a way that she had no doubt worked wonders with women of all ages. "You can call me Jethro," he told her conspiratorially, "but I've been known to answer to 'Gunny.'"

She couldn't help but respond to that grin with one of her own. Just couldn't. Even the knowledge that it would more than likely be more of a misshapen smirk didn't matter. She felt it spreading across her face against her will as she retorted. "But never 'sir?'"

"Oh, hell no," he responded so vehemently that she laughed out loud, and his mind instantly recorded the sound. It wasn't Kate's laugh, his mind registered. It was Katherine's. And he liked it very much.

And God, that boyish smile did something funny to her insides. She was irrevocably and irresistibly drawn to Leroy Jethro Gibbs. She thought it may be in that moment that she lost her heart to the man, but, in fact, it may have been the first time she saw him. But no matter. She was very afraid that the die was cast.

"Listen," he said, with a smile for her kids, "I really need to go check in at the office. You guys want to spend the day here and I'll come back later?"

They nodded happily and he turned to her, running his hand along her arm briefly, because he needed to touch her, she thought fleetingly, with a small jolt of shock, just to make sure she was real. "It's good to have you back, Katherine," he said, his blue eyes serious on hers, and there is no doubt that he means every word.

"Thanks, Jethro. It's good to be back." And the dreams that her unconscious mind spun are so vividly now tumbling through her head, in living color. Most of them involving this man, and some rather amazing acts of pleasure that she wondered now how her imagination had even come up with. She tried to smile, but knew it probably looked like an awkward grimace. And then wanted to bury her face under the sheets.

This was ridiculous! She looked horrendous! There was no way this man would want anything to do with her, or any man for that matter. She had looked like Frankenstein's monster after the car accident, and now she probably looked ten times worse. And yet he was still looking at her as if she were something precious. She couldn't wrap her mind around it, so she didn't even try. She just gave him another grimace-smile as he headed out the door, looking for all the world like he didn't want to leave her side, now or ever.

TBC...


	9. Chapter 9

Nine

Disclaimer: NCIS characters are not mine.

**A/N:** _Sorry for the delay. Journeyed to the frozen north to see my son graduate from basic training, and my laptop was not happy with the trip... it just now decided to work again!_

When Jethro returns, he has some of the members of his team with him, and Katherine can't help but feel on display as they stare at her, unabashedly. He introduces Abby and Ducky, and then leaves quickly in search of Jake and Sammy, who had headed out for the cafeteria half an hour ago. He seems nervous, and she wonders as to the reason even as she wonders aloud if she looks that different from what they expected. Ducky and Abby look at each other in chagrin. Ducky shakes his head and takes a seat at the edge of her bed.

"We're sorry, my dear, to show our astonishment. It's just so striking, you see, the resemblance. We were prepared for it, but even so, it's just… astonishing." Ducky breaks off, looking at Abby, who is still shaking her head in wonderment. Even as bruised and unlike herself as she is looking right now, the two of them have no problem seeing her underneath all of that.

"Wow," Abby breathes in reverence. "I mean, just, wow. You look just like her. I mean, JUST like her." She steps closer to peer into Katherine's eyes. "Even the eye color thing. Hey, would you mind if I wrote a paper about you? A totally scientific study. Would that be okay? Because I won't do it if you don't want me to. It's totally up to you. Totally."

Katherine is looking at the woman like she has lost her mind, and Ducky sighs. "I'm sorry, my dear, but you bear such a striking resemblance to the young woman whose organs you received. She was a dear friend and teammate of ours, a very bright NCIS investigator who was cut down in her prime. By all accounts, you looked quite a bit like her before the transplants occurred, and now, well, it's just uncanny."

Her brain seems to have stopped functioning. Of course she knew that her eyes had changed color. And she was aware as well that there had been some changes in her personality as well, in her likes and dislikes. Jethro Gibbs suddenly flashes in her mind, and it hits her very suddenly that maybe this sudden attraction she feels for the man isn't sudden after all. Was this woman infatuated with the man, before her death? In love with him? Were they together? She feels sick all of a sudden, sick and weak and nauseous. "Please," she croaks, barely able to find her voice. "Her name. What was her name?"

Ducky looks at her compassionately, feeling badly for springing this on her, considering just how badly she is taking it. He covers her hand with his, smiling warmly. "Her name was Caitlin Todd. We called her Kate. Well," he chuckled, "Jethro sometimes called her 'Katie,' but I think if anyone else had, she would have pulled her gun. Caitlin was such a pistol. She worked for the Secret Service, protecting the president, before she came to us and NCIS. She was smart, and tough, a lot like you, from what I understand." He smiles at her warmly once again, and Katherine can't help liking the man. It would be impossible not to. "I think our Kate would be quite happy to know that she saved your life, Katherine, dear."

"How..." she sputters. "How did she die?" Her voice is barely audible, and she is shaking with emotion.

Ducky pats her hand. "Terrorist sniper. One bullet, shot in the head. No pain for her, I'm quite glad to say. She is sorely missed, I can tell you. Not a day goes by that we don't think of her. And Jethro, well, he went a little crazy there for a while. Felt responsible, you know, as she was an agent under his command."

Abby comes to sit on her other side and envelops Katherine in a soft, gentle hug, mindful of her injuries. "We're so glad to know that she lives on, in you," she says sincerely. "And I won't bug you, I promise. But whenever you feel up to it, I'd be very interested in hearing about the changes, you know, after you got part of Kate."

There was no movement or sound that gave him away, but somehow they were all aware at the same time that Gibbs was there in the doorway. They looked up as one, and the stricken look on his face quickly turned thunderous, as he stomped past Ducky, glaring at both him and Abby in a way that neither of them could recall him ever doing before.

"Damn it, Duck, I wouldn't have given you permission to come by if I'd known you were going to get her this upset," he growled, all but pushing his old friend out of the way in his haste to get to her. Ducky went around to where Abby was, and they both watched incredulously as Gibbs moved in close, wiping away the tears that were now streaming down her face with gentle hands. "It's okay," he was telling her softly, her trembling face now held gently between his big hands. "Katherine, look at me. It's okay." She brought her eyes to his with effort, and both Ducky and Abby stared incredulously. As well as they knew the man, this was a side of him they had never seen. Without taking his eyes off of hers, he spoke to them, his voice far gentler now than when he'd entered the room.

"Abbs, I could really use some coffee right about now. Duck, could you help her find it? Please?"

They looked at each other in shock, and then nodded simultaneously. "Of course, Jethro," Ducky said. He took Abby's hand and led her out of the room, as she was still noticeably shaken at the rarity of being the object of Gibbs' ire.

Once they'd gone, Gibbs pulled her gently into his arms in a loose embrace. "I didn't tell you. I'm sorry. I didn't think it was the right time," he said quietly, shaken at the connection he could already feel with this woman, and it wasn't because she looked uncannily like Caitlin Todd.

"Is that… is that the reason for… for all of this?" she asked quietly. "Because of what you felt for this… Kate? Because I'm not her, Jeth—Agent Gibbs."

He didn't miss the stiff way she switched to the more formal title. He pulled back so she could see his eyes. "All this?"

She waved her hand between them, and her voice got tight. "This. You—taking such good care of me when you don't even know me. Taking care of my children. Searching for me. Saving my life."

"No," he told her, looking into her eyes that, yes, were the exact hue of Kate's. But the shape of them was her own. The emotion in them was her own. The sucker punch he'd gotten the first time he'd looked into them had dissipated. There was no way he could look at this woman and mistake her for Kate. It wasn't possible. He had cared for Kate, it was true, and even coveted her from afar while knowing that nothing could ever happen as long as they worked together. But they had never crossed the line, so he'd never know. He'd never know if they could have been as good together as they had been in his dreams. He had even felt her body close to his, accidentally, on a few occasions, and while those sporadic moments of casual contact had made him feel far more than he had ever dared to let on, what he was feeling now was just as real. And there weren't any rules against it.

TBC…


	10. Chapter 10

Ten

**Disclaimer:** NCIS characters are not mine.

**A/N:** _An extra chapter tonight to make up for the long delay. _

"Katherine, I…" Shit. He had no idea what to say. He truly had no idea why she seemed so devastated right now, only that he needed her to understand. "Kate was my subordinate. I cared for her, yes, as a friend, as a co-worker, but what I did for you, I did for you. I know you're not Kate Todd."

"You were in love with her." It was more a question then a statement.

"No," he said carefully. "No, I wasn't." Because he had shut down anything he'd felt for her before it had the chance to grow, but he'd be damned if he'd say that. The truth was, Kate was gone, and he did feel something very real for Katherine Murphy that had absolutely nothing to do with the way she looked and everything to do with the way she made him feel. And he knew he couldn't say any of that, not now.

And he wasn't any good at this sort of thing, but he couldn't let her cry like this. "Ducky's right; Kate would be very glad to know that she saved your life. And Abby, well, Abby's Abby. She's like a daughter to me, and I love her, but she's a little… odd. She's into all sorts of weird stuff. If you don't want to be her science project, just tell her. She won't be offended." He smiled that little lopsided smile of his, and Katherine felt her heartbeat slowly go back to normal. Or at least, what passed for normal with this man around. She was slowly getting used to it.

He looked at her as she pulled away from him some, and he withdrew his arms from around her and backed up a little, keeping his hand lightly on her arm just over the ink on her skin that linked them, somehow, and she didn't press him to remove it. She would have felt bereft if he wasn't touching her somehow, and she didn't care to analyze the reasons for that right now. There'd be time for that later.

"Look, I know you don't know me, but if Jake and Sammy want to stay with me until you're out of the hospital, it's fine by me. It's your call, but I want you to know that I really like them. They're good kids and they remind me so much—"

He halted abruptly, amazed at what had almost come barreling out of his mouth of its own accord. That had never happened before. The team only knew about Shannon and Kelly because it had come out when he'd been blown up. He had never voluntarily told anyone.

Katherine just looked at him steadily, sensing that he was wrestling with something important. She put her hand over his on her arm, and mentally willed him to go on, to trust her with this piece of himself.

A fine sweat stood out on his forehead. He swallowed, gazing blindly out the window, and then looked back at her. "They remind me of the teenager my daughter would have been," he said very softly, and looked away. She didn't speak, and they sat in silence.

He didn't look at her as the words fell out of his mouth. "She and my wife were killed—murdered—while I was in Kuwait. Desert Storm. Shannon—my wife—saw a drug dealer kill a Marine, and he killed them both." He looked at her briefly, and then looked away again. "Twenty years, and it still feels like it was yesterday." His eyes met hers once more. "Kelly. My daughter's name was Kelly."

"Eight years for me," she said quietly. "Eight years since Mattie, and nine since Matt."

The details of the car accident he had read in the report came back to him suddenly. Maybe this was why he'd told her. He'd known she could understand. His throat felt tight, still, and his skin felt too small, suddenly, and too cold, but he could feel her warm skin under his hand, and over it, as her hand still lightly covered his. "I miss being a dad," he confessed, his voice sounding raw and alien to his own ears. "And a husband, I guess, although I've proved over the years that I'm no good in that area," he said dryly. "As, no doubt, my three ex-wives would attest. But I think I was a good father. I'm not trying to be a father to Jake and Sammy, but I just… I don't mind if they want to come hang out sometimes. Work on the boat, watch a movie, whatever." He shrugged. "I've enjoyed their company."

Katherine smiled at him. "They've enjoyed yours. They feel safe with you. I can't thank you enough for that. For keeping them safe through this whole thing, I… I can't ever thank you enough for that."

He nodded, understanding. That was what he'd been trying to do, when it was clear that he couldn't do much for her, at least fast enough for his liking, at least he could be there for her kids, and keep them safe in her absence. He wished… no, that wasn't fair. Mike Franks and his agents had tried their best, and had paid the price.

Gibbs stared at Katherine Murphy, and she stared back. It seemed that they had reached an uneasy truce, but it was a start.

"You don't have to stay with me, Agent G—Jethro." She altered it quickly when she saw his eyes narrow. And she quite liked the sound of his first name on her own lips. "I appreciate what you and your team did for me, as much as I didn't deserve it. But your duty has been fulfilled. You don't have to babysit me."

His face had hardened, and she suddenly wished she could take back whatever it was she had said to put that look on his face. She sighed. "This was my own fault. I never should have let my guard down and allowed myself to be taken. I should have fought harder. And then, at the house? I screwed up, and I deserved what I got." Shame was apparent in her tone, and in her face.

"You took out five men. How could you perceive failure there?"

Her eyes met his, dejected and ashamed. It struck him that her expression was much like Kate's when she had made mistakes in judgment. "I knew I should have swept the house before I left there. But I was in so much pain, and having trouble focusing. The door was _right there_, and I thought I could make it. I _knew_ I should have cleared the house first. It was _my fault_." And the pain she'd been in at that moment had been nothing compared to what she'd later experience.

"Anyone would have done just the same, Staff Sergeant," he said, deliberately using her rank. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. You stayed alive, and endured what most people wouldn't have."

She scoffed at that. "Yeah, well, most people aren't Marines. I failed."

Gibbs took her hand, his eyes softening on hers. "I don't look at what you did as a failure. You're here now. That's a success." It was hard to doubt him when he looked at her that way, when his tone was so warm, so she didn't even try.

TBC…

**A/N:** _Don't be mad, my Gabby friends, if you read this! It's just for this story, I swear! My Gabby stories will come back sooner or later, promise! :D_


	11. Chapter 11

Eleven

**Disclaimer:** NCIS characters are not mine.

Gibbs had Katherine laughing when Ducky and Abby finally regained enough courage to re-enter the room, coffee in hand and followed closely by Jake and Sammy Murphy. He'd been telling her about the first time he'd taken her children down to the basement to work on his boat, and the looks on their faces when he'd told them that he didn't use power tools. He was laughing himself by this point, and Ducky and Abby shared a look. The amount of times they had seen Gibbs laugh like that could be counted on one hand.

"No power tools at all?" she was asking, incredulously, and Gibbs lifted his hands up wryly, not realizing until he did so that it meant he had to remove the one that had still been resting on her arm. Damn it, he had forgotten that he still had it there. And he had really, really liked it there. But this was okay too.

Because he'd have to be dead not to notice the way she was looking at his hands right now, mesmerized, as if imagining them moving over her body. Very slowly. She finally tore her eyes away and looked up into his, and the flash of desire he saw there before she quickly masked it with a friendly smile sent a bolt of electricity through him that he hadn't felt in a long, long time. If ever.

His grin was slow and knowing. "This is all the power I need," he said with a little smirk that said he knew exactly how good he was, and Katherine just rolled her eyes. She'd grown up with four older brothers and spent twenty years in the Marines. Took a lot more than that to embarrass Katherine Murphy.

She loved that little smirk on his face. Hell, she just plain loved his face. She looked up with a smile as Ducky and Abby came in, followed by her children. Ducky handed both cups to Gibbs, and he offered one to Katherine, with a Gibbs smile that she was rapidly warming to. She raised a brow. "And how do you know how I take my coffee, Agent Gibbs?"

That self-satisfied little smirk was back. "You're a Marine." He lifted his cup in a mock toast and brought it to his mouth, his eyes still hung up on hers over the rim, and she could see the humor in them. Taking his challenge, she lifted her own cup to her lips, taking a sip, her eyes never leaving his, and smiled when she tasted it. Strong and black, just the way she liked it. And she needed to take a step back. She could drown in this man if she wasn't careful; she knew it, and if she knew it, then he probably did, too. Which wasn't good. She wouldn't go down that road; there was no way it could possibly end well. Yeah, she'd keep telling herself that.

"Well done, Gunny," she told him cheekily, and he smiled broadly and very nearly laughed out loud. He needed to be careful; anyone could see all this smiling and think he was going soft in his old age. Hell, maybe he was.

Katherine told Abby to work on her questions and she would answer whatever she liked. She happened to be just as curious about the whole chain of events as Abby was; she'd like to know the scientific basis for them, if there was one, as well as more about Special Agent Caitlin Todd. The scientist was so excited that Katherine thought she might jump right out of her boots. She just smiled at all that exuberant joy, as Gibbs looked on indulgently. She thanked Ducky and Abby for the visit, and Gibbs could see she was starting to get tired. He leaned close to ask her without the kids hearing. He didn't want to set her up to be the bad guy if she turned down his request.

"They want to come home with me. Are you okay with that, or do you want me to take them back to your house to stay with Cassie?" His tone was low enough to be intimate, his mouth right next to her ear, and his warm breath on her neck gave her ideas that she shouldn't be having right now, especially in light of the recovery time she would need before she could even think about doing some of the things she wanted to do to this man right now, not to even mention all the other roadblocks that stood in the way of what her body and mind were both insistently telling her that they wanted.

She turned her head and lifted her eyes to his, trying in vain to block the sucker punch they always-_always_- gave her and tried desperately to make herself focus. What was she trying to do again? Oh yeah, words. And a little coherent thought would be nice right about now.

"As long as you don't mind having them," she told him when she finally found her tongue. Yep, there it was, trying to get at him just like the rest of her was. _Damn it. _

"I don't mind," he said, seeming as mesmerized by her nearness as she was, by his. "I like having them there."

She turned to her children, who were waiting patiently for the verdict. "It's okay with me," she told them. "Go home. Get some rest. Text your friends. Build a boat. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Jake and Sammy looked at each other and grinned, and then hugged and kissed their mom and they were out the door. Gibbs rolled his eyes. Teenagers. But he was loving this, and Katherine could see it on his face. He really was missing being a dad. As much as Katherine missed her baby, having her two wonderful children kept her going, every day. She couldn't imagine how it would feel to lose your only child.

Gibbs was still reeling that she had told them to 'go home,' to his place. It was staggering to realize just how much he wanted his place to be home for someone other than just him. He stood, not wanting to leave her, just looking at her, and then he smiled and leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"We'll see you tomorrow," he told her, and then he was gone, leaving Katherine to flop back into the pillows, her eyes closing, still feeling that way-too-quick glance of his mouth off of her skin, savoring it and wishing for more.

In the doorway where they had paused their departure, Ducky and Abby caught her long, low sigh of extreme pleasure and shared a grin.

TBC…


	12. Chapter 12

Twelve

**Disclaimer:** NCIS characters are not mine.

It became a routine for them. He would drop off the kids every morning and then go to work, and the kids would spend the day with her in her room. After work he would come back, usually bringing dinner with him, and they would eat together, talking quietly. Often he would bring Ducky or Abby, or even Tony or McGee or Ziva, and the kids loved talking to all of them. It left Gibbs and Katherine time to talk uninterrupted, and those moments were ones she treasured and waited all day for. She found herself letting herself believe that this could be their reality: him coming home to her every day, and she exulted in it, letting herself indulge in the fantasy of it, even as her rational mind knew it was a dream that could never come true.

A week passed, and then another, and the doctors were talking of releasing her soon. She was happy about it and she wasn't, because it meant he'd no longer have an excuse to come and see her every day. On what she knew would be her last day in the hospital, Abby had taken the kids to a movie, and Katherine was looking forward to seeing Gibbs soon. She had just returned from physical therapy and walked haltingly into the room, leaning heavily on her cane, where he stood waiting, staring out the window. He turned toward her suddenly, hearing her in the doorway, and the look on his face, so full of longing, made her stumble.

Gibbs moved instinctively, without thinking, rushing to catch her before she hit the ground, and then froze with her in his arms as she could only stare up at him, caught like a deer in headlights by the look in those blue eyes. He stared down at her, at those eyes that were Kate's and yet not, and he felt his heart in his throat. He brought her closer, holding her protectively against his chest, and as good as this felt, he suddenly knew that he couldn't do this. As much as he liked this woman, as right as she felt here in his arms, she deserved better. He knew it. He may not like it, but that didn't make it any less true.

And she was still looking into his eyes like she wanted to drown in him. Too close. She was too close, both literally and figuratively. He panicked. Past and present collided, and the words tumbled out of his mouth unbidden. "We can't do this. Katie, we can't—"

He hadn't meant to say it, damn it, _didn'_t think of her as Katie, but seeing the alarm in her eyes, he knew the damage was done. Whatever hope she'd held instantly died. He could see it on her face. And just as well, for her at least. He _knew_ it, even as he hated it.

Katherine could feel all her hopes and dreams regarding this man catch fire and disappear so quickly, and letting them go was excruciating. She'd been wrong. He didn't see her when he looked at her, didn't feel her when he held her like this. He saw Caitlin Todd.

She wrenched out of his arms and backed up to the bed, her arms crossed protectively across her chest.

Gibbs looked at her and sighed. "I'm—never mind. I'll go." Chivalrously he helped her into bed, careful not to touch her skin, before he moved to the door. He paused, looking at her in her hospital bed, looking so brittle she might crack and break into pieces at any minute. He wanted to go to her, tell her he didn't mean it, that it was just a slip of the tongue because he was so damn terrified of what was happening between them and where it might be going, but he couldn't. The words weren't there. He truly was no good at this. He shook his head, unsure whether at himself or at her, and then turned and walked out the door.

Gibbs did what he always did when his personal life became a shambles like it always, _always,_ did. He went back to work. He found Ducky in autopsy and stood, just watching, his hands in his pockets. Ducky worked steadily, carrying on a conversation with the body as he always did, ignoring Gibbs for the most part, until he was finished. He looked up at his friend and sighed. "Do you want to talk about it, Jethro?" he asked mildly, having already guessed where this was going.

"I don't know why I do this, Ducky," he said quietly. "It should be clear by now that I'm no good with this kind of thing." Love, relationships, commitment. The long haul. Expressing himself. Communicating. He could go on, but there was no point, really.

Ducky crossed the floor to him, laying a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. He didn't require any further explanation to know what his friend was referring to. He knew him too well. "You do it for the same reason any of us does, Jethro. That's how we're wired. We crave love and affection. There's not anything wrong with that, Jethro. It makes you human."

"She makes me feel, so much, Duck. It's not about Kate. It's her—Katherine. I really screwed up this time. She'll never believe that I want her, and not Kate. Of course I cared for Kate. Who could help it? But she's gone. I know that. I…" He stopped stalking and shook his head.

"You need to be telling her this, Jethro, not me."

"I can't, Duck. I don't know how." He looked at his old friend. "She thinks I was in love with Kate."

Ducky just looked at him. "'In love' may be a little too strong of a sentiment. But you certainly cared for her. Even I could see that there was something there."

"I never did anything about it. Rule twelve. I told her nothing could ever happen, and I didn't let it happen."

"You may not have, but you admit there was something there. You need to decide whether what you feel now for Katherine has anything to do with the way you felt about Caitlin."

"She's not Caitlin Todd, Ducky. As much as I miss her, she's gone, and she's never coming back. I like spending time with Katherine. I like her kids. I can…" He broke off, gulping air into his suddenly uncomfortable lungs. "I can see forever with her. I can see having a family again, with her." It was something he hadn't even admitted to himself.

Ducky moved in front of him now. "Then tell her, Jethro. Tell her everything just as you've told me. Because that woman cares for you a great deal. It's clear to see. Give her your heart, Jethro. She won't make you regret it."

"Pretty sure she already has my heart, Duck. I just don't know what to do about it."

"Stop being stubborn and tell her already!" He harrumphed in exasperation, and turned away from his friend, removing his gloves and his lab coat. He looked at Gibbs, one brow raised high. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

Gibbs smiled and clapped his hand over his friend's shoulder. "Thanks, Duck."

Gibbs drove like a bat out of hell back to the hospital. The need to see her, to touch her, to explain his panic, along with his entire pathetic history since Shannon and Kelly, burned in his chest, and he knew he needed to do it quick, before he lost his nerve.

When he got to her room, he crossed the floor to her bed quietly. She had cried herself to sleep. And he knew instinctively that she was a woman not prone to tears. She was a Marine. A Marine who had been through so much, who had beat unthinkable odds and kept fighting. And she had cried for him. Because of him. Anguish filled him. He didn't want to make this woman cry. He wanted to make her smile, laugh. Make her happy. See her eyes light up when she saw him, the way they did. Every time. It got him every time.

He sat down beside her bed, gently wiping away the still damp tears on her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Katherine," he told her quietly. "I'd like another chance, but I'll probably need a lot more than one. I'm a bastard. You know this," he told her, the knowledge that she couldn't hear him making him bold. He leaned over and kissed her still-damp cheeks, then brushed his lips over hers, and pressed a sweet lingering kiss to her forehead. "I know I don't deserve it. Don't deserve you. But that doesn't change the way I feel. Sleep. I'll see you later." He pushed back the chair and rose to his feet, drinking in the sight of her one more time before he left her room, slowly, dejectedly, his chest heavy with regret at yet another failure. This was it, he told himself numbly. He was done.

Katherine lay frozen as she heard him leave. She hadn't been up to talking to him, so she'd feigned sleep. And was so afraid she'd given herself away when her heart had started beating double-time at his words. It was too much to believe. And she couldn't help but believe him. He'd thought she was asleep. He'd been speaking from his heart. And the gentle kisses he'd left her with sparked hope, deep within her, that she hadn't felt in years. If ever. She closed her eyes, feeling the smile he'd caused spread across her face, and let those soft kisses sink into her heart and soul.

TBC…


	13. Chapter 13

Thirteen

**Disclaimer:** NCIS characters are not mine.

"Ow!" McGee and and DiNozzo gritted their teeth at the simultaneous head slaps they really didn't think they were deserving of. They looked at each other. Gibbs was in a really bad mood. Or maybe it was that they had gotten used to the way he'd been lately, happier and more relaxed since they'd wrapped up the Murphy case and found the doctor more or less in one piece. Even though the boss had been splitting his time between the office, the hospital and his house with two teenagers in tow, he'd been like a different man. So maybe his mood wasn't that odd, just back to normal, and that was a shame.

"Get on it, damn it!" he growled, and stomped into the elevator to go down to Abby's lab, as they looked at each other again.

Abby looked up to see Gibbs storm in, his face set in hard lines. She sighed. Well, Ducky had warned her, and he was right. He certainly looked out of sorts today. He set the Caf-Pow on her desk and looked at her, trying his best to portray a civility he certainly didn't feel today, but this was Abby. He couldn't take his bad mood out on her.

"Thank you, Gibbs," she said sweetly. "I had a great time with your kids last night," she told him with a wide grin, and his glower returned full force in an instant.

"They're not _my_ kids, Abby," he fairly growled, and she looked at him compassionately.

"All right, what did you do, Gibbs?" This earned her the Gibbs glare, which she ignored. "You can tell me. I can help you fix it."

He just sighed. He just couldn't be mad at Abby. "You can't fix me, Abbs. I'm beyond hope."

Her face changed instantly, and she put her arms around him. "Oh, you're not, Gibbs, you're not. What did you do?"

His face contorted with self-recrimination as he recalled that horrible moment. He lifted his eyes back to hers, not even wanting to say it out loud. "It was an accident. She stumbled, and I caught her, and… and… she was right there… and she was looking up at me, and it just popped out. I didn't mean it. I didn't even think it, but…"

"But, what, Gibbs?"

He shut his eyes tightly, cursing himself for his own stupidity at even considering trying another relationship at his age. He damn well should know by now that you couldn't teach an old dog new tricks. And today he was feeling every one of his years, and more. Finally his eyes popped open again and found hers. "I called her Katie."

Abby just looked at him sympathetically. "Oh, Gibbs." She took his face in her hands so he couldn't escape. "You really like her, don't you?"

"Yeah. I do. But I screwed it up. Before there was even anything to screw." Abby smirked at him and he narrowed his eyes at her. "Not like that! Get your mind out of the gutter! I should have known better. It's over. I'm just…" He licked his lips and shook his head. "You know me, Abbs. I drive everyone away. I would have done it with her; it was just a matter of time. It's better this way."

The look she gave him was fierce. "You really believe that, Gibbs?"

He shrugged, hopelessly. "She deserves better than me, Abbs."

"I disagree, Gibbs. I think she's been through hell, and maybe she deserves _you. _And maybe you deserve her, too."

He was already shaking his head. "I don't. She's way too good for me. I'm a bastard. You know this, Abbs."

She released his face with a small smile and stepped back. "Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree on this, then, because I don't think you're a bastard. I know you want everyone to think that, but I happen to know that you have a heart under there, a very big heart. I happen to think both of you have been through enough hurt, and both of you deserve to be happy. And those kids? They're yours now, whether you admit it or not." She turned back to her computer, knowing better than to push him any further right now. She'd just leave him with that to chew on for a while.

She had brought the kids back to the hospital after the movie and been surprised that Gibbs wasn't there, and equally surprised at her new friend's demeanor. The usually stoic and always upbeat Doctor Murphy had seemed surprisingly fragile, and Abby suspected something had happened. She'd agreed when Katherine had asked her to drive the kids to Gibbs' house, and she'd waited for the kids to leave the room before leaning in close to whisper in her ear, "Nothing worth having comes easy. Give him time." The woman had smiled then, a little wryly.

"Yeah, I kinda got that, but thanks, Abby."

She finally gave him the details he'd come down here for, and he thanked her, and kissed her cheek, before turning to go back upstairs. She watched him go, thinking that this was a man badly in need of a head slap of his own.

Gibbs was late in getting to the hospital to pick up the kids. All day he'd been expecting a call saying not to bother, that they wouldn't be seeing him anymore. It hadn't come, but that didn't mean that it wouldn't still. And then he almost gave himself a head slap. He was supposed to take her home today. Damn it. And here he was, late, too late, past the dinner hour. She'd probably called Cassie to come get her and he knew, right then, that he would never see her again. Or Jake and Sammy. Cursing, he wished he'd never let himself get so attached. He'd known this was going to happen. It always did.

He parked his truck and went to her room. He had to. He had to feel it in his gut, the pain that would slice into him when he saw that the room was empty, all those foolish wishes obliterated in an instant. He turned the corner, and stopped short. Couldn't speak. His heart was in his throat.

Katherine Murphy sat on the side of the bed, dressed in jeans and a dark blue short-sleeved V-neck T-shirt. Her bandages had been removed and she had had her hair cut. It was short, not as short as Jenny's pixie cut that he had hated, but shorter than it had been. It stopped just above her shoulders, and framed her delicate face perfectly. Made her eyes look huge. She was swinging her feet as she laughed at something Sammy had said, and he couldn't look away from her feet, complete with strappy sandals that he found sexy on her for some strange reason. Her toenails were painted a very bright unnatural pink.

She had makeup on too, he noticed. He'd never seen her with makeup before. And lip gloss. He stared at her lips like he'd stared at her toes. Like he couldn't get enough. Of her. Just her. He felt fifteen around this woman. And it had been a long, long time since he'd felt fifteen. Not even when he _was _fifteen.

He must have made some kind of sound, because Katherine, Jake and Sammy looked up as one, seeing him standing there in the hall, having not even made it into the doorway. He was too stunned to move. The kids reacted first, jumping up and greeting him excitedly, and Katherine just held his gaze, a mysterious smile in her eyes and barely curling her lips.

She wasn't surprised to see him. She'd known he'd come, sooner or later, if only to punish himself because he thought she'd be long gone. And she wondered what it would take for him to believe that that wasn't going to happen. This thing between them-whatever it turned out to be-may not end up the way she wanted it to, but she would never be able to voluntarily leave him. She knew that much by now.

And right now... the way he was focused on her and unable to look away... She liked his reaction very, very much. Leroy Jethro Gibbs was looking at her like he liked very much what he saw. Like he could eat her alive.

And that couldn't be right. She told herself that, even as she couldn't find the will anywhere inside her to let go of this feeling right now.

Gibbs couldn't believe it. The look in her eyes electrified him and immobilized him at once. She didn't hate him. _She didn't hate him._ Could it possibly _not_ be over before it had begun?

Finally he managed to snap himself out of it. He approached slowly, warily, and it made her smile. He cared. He was too wary not to care. "Hey," she told him.

And he was still looking at her like a rattlesnake that might attack at any moment. "Hey. I… uh… I'm sorry I'm late. There was a case… I just… I just now got away." Damn that Rule Six anyways. He seemed to be breaking it seven ways to Sunday with this woman. And with good reason.

She slid carefully off of the bed, not bothering to hide the smile that he inspired in her. "That's okay. You can take us to dinner." He picked up her bag and lifted it over his shoulder, guiding her out the door with a light hand at the small of her back that gave her an unreasonably overwhelming thrill. A nurse caught her and made her wait for a wheelchair to take her downstairs, and Gibbs smirked at her ire.

He did take them to dinner, at a casual pizza place that Katherine and the kids frequented, and he was taken aback at how easily conversation flowed between the four of them. He was enjoying himself, he realized. He was about halfway home when he realized that he was supposed to be taking them to her home, and an unreasonable pall came over him. Of course they'd go home now. Their mother was home. But he'd miss them, he knew. They had to get their things anyway, so he kept driving.

TBC…


	14. Chapter 14

Fourteen

**Disclaimer:** _NCIS characters are not mine._

**A/N**: _Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who's taken the time to favorite, alert and review. Real life has been too busy for me to reply to everyone, but I'll get around to it eventually... I'm glad you're enjoying this story. I'm a Kibbs fan myself, but I enjoy just about any Gibbs story... love that man! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to leave a review on your way out! :)_

Gibbs invited her in for a drink when they arrived at his house, before telling the kids they'd wait inside while they packed their stuff, and Katherine took a deep breath while the kids ran into the house like they lived there. "Jethro, I…" she began, stumbling over herself. She knew what she wanted but didn't know how to ask without seeming overbearing. She stared at him while he poured the bourbon. He lifted the bottle, and she shrugged. Why not? He poured her a drink and she fidgeted with it for a while.

"Just spit it out, Katherine," he said quietly, watching her intently.

"I don't want to sleep at my house tonight," she said quietly. "It doesn't feel safe anymore."

He gazed at her steadily. "You won't know until you try."

"I had Cassie take me by the other day. I didn't like it. I know I have to face it, but I don't want to. Not yet."

He took a long swig, nodding like that was the most reasonable thing he'd heard all day. Finally he shrugged. "I have a guest room. You're welcome for as long as you want. Sammy and Jake are at home here already."

She stared at him. "Are you sure?"

He took another swig. "Wouldn't have offered if I wasn't."

She wanted to tell him that there was no way she could be here if had female company, but she didn't think she had to at this point. She hadn't ever asked him if he was seeing someone, but somehow she didn't imagine he'd have said and done half the things he had if he was.

He set his glass down on the counter. "I'll go tell the kids they don't need to pack. Sit down," he said, with a little half-smile. "Make yourself at home."

She took her drink to the living room, sinking into the couch with a sigh, realizing she was already exhausted. Just having dinner in public and walking into his house from the truck had sapped all of her strength. And she really shouldn't be complaining, she realized. She didn't have a damn thing to complain about.

Just a few short weeks ago she was certain it was the end of the road for her, had made peace with it, even, and now... now it seemed her horizon was opening up with possibilities she had never expected. No matter what happened with Leroy Jethro Gibbs, she would never be anything but profoundly grateful, for every day, every moment, every breath she took. She leaned back and closed her eyes, seeing his gorgeous smile-_for her!_-in her mind's eye as she waited for him to return.

When he came back down with the kids, who wanted to go down to work on the boat, he smiled when he saw her. She was already sound asleep. He raised a finger to his lips to keep them quiet, and went to the closet to get a blanket. He carefully took the glass from her fingers, smiling as they instantly curled into his, and he squeezed her hand and sat down next to her, just watching her for long, silent, blissful moments that seemed to stretch out infinitely long. Finally he sighed, rising reluctantly, covered her with the blanket and dropped a soft kiss on her forehead before following the kids down to the basement.

It was late and they were all yawning when they decided to call it a night. Gibbs stood watching Katherine sleep, trying to decide whether to carry her to bed or just leave her here, and then decided it was comfortable enough. Lord knew he slept here enough times. And now that she was ensconced here, he'd have to actually sleep in his own bed. Alone. As much as he wasn't looking forward to it, he thought the kids would think it strange if he wrapped himself around their mother and went to sleep on the couch. Sighing, he went to bed but left his door open so he could hear her if she needed him.

Amazingly, he was asleep within the hour. He woke suddenly, unsure of why, until he heard it again. A very faint scream, and then a voice. _Katherine._ He slid out of bed and was down the stairs in a hurry. She was thrashing, still in the throes of a nightmare, and he didn't hesitate, just sat down, reached over and pulled her into his arms. "Shhh," he told her quietly. "It's okay. You're safe. I'm right here."

He felt when she finally snapped awake, her body going stiff for a second before she relaxed into his arms. "Jethro?" she asked hesitantly, panting like she'd run a marathon. Embarrassed, she buried her head in his chest.

"Now, don't do that," he scolded mildly as her head came up in surprise. "Well, you can, but you don't have to be ashamed of a nightmare. Not with me." Her head went back to his chest, and he tightened his arms around her. "Come on," he said, after her heartbeat had returned to normal. "Let's go to bed."

He led her upstairs and hesitated a moment before pulling her with him into his room. She looked up at him, startled, and he chuckled at the look on her face. "Just to sleep, Katherine. You can trust me. I won't take advantage of you."

"I know you won't," she shot back, "but I might."

He chuckled again. "I'll take my chances, doctor." He lifted the covers for her and slid in beside her, pulling her gently until her head rested on his chest and his arm held her close. "Go to sleep," he told her, and he felt when she finally relaxed and slept. He lay awake for a long time, watching her in the darkness, thinking that knowing she felt safe with him had to be one of the best feelings in the world.

TBC…


	15. Chapter 15

Fifteen

**Disclaimer:** NCIS characters are not mine.

Katherine could tell it was late when she woke by the sunlight spilling in through the curtains. She looked around, disoriented. And then it came back to her. She was in Jethro's house. In his bed. She had had a nightmare and he had brought her here to sleep, and she'd never felt as safe as she had sleeping in his arms, her head on his chest. And dear Lord, the man slept in boxers and nothing else. Because it was summer, and it was hot, he'd murmured, and she'd had to agree. It was definitely _hot. _And _damn,_ but he'd looked good. She'd been too freaked out last night to properly appreciate him, but if there was ever a time to be thankful she had a photographic memory, it was now. _Mmmm… yeah._

And she was alone, and probably had been for hours. That was okay. She knew he'd had to go to work. She didn't expect him to cater to her. She was still amazed that he'd let her stay here, and that he'd brought her into his bed when she'd awoken him with her nightmare. He hadn't complained at all. And she'd snuggled into his chest and his arms like she belonged there. _Oh, God._

Her face flushed as she remembered how it had felt to be so close to him, so close that they'd shared each other's air. It had felt incredible. It was something that she had gotten really used to really fast. And it shocked her how easily she could see herself doing that every night, for the rest of her life. _Don't get too attached, Murphy,_ she told herself with an inner slap. _The man is not yours._ _He will _never be_ yours. Don't let yourself want something that can never, _ever,_ be._ But she had a feeling that it was far too late for that. She already did.

She realized she was still in her clothes from yesterday, having fallen asleep on the couch. She took a quick shower, changed and went downstairs, and had to laugh at the sight that greeted her. Jake and Sammy were cooking breakfast. She kissed them both, and they grinned at her.

"Noticed your sleeping arrangements," Jake said with a grin, and she blushed.

"I had a nightmare, if you must know," she told him pointedly. "I woke up screaming. Jethro was just being nice."

Sammy smacked her brother in the arm. "We think it's great, Mom," her wise daughter told her. "Jethro has been really good to us. And he's kinda hot, for an old guy." At her mom's expression, she laughed. "What? You don't think he's hot?" She laughed again. "Yeah, you can't hide it. We can tell you like him."

Jake bounded over and wrapped his arms around her like an exuberant puppy. "It's okay with us if you do, you know," he told her. "We like him, too."

Katherine smiled at them both. Her children were wise beyond their years. They'd had to be. "I'm taking it one day at a time," she told them, "but, yeah, I like him. Be kinda hard not to."

ooooo

Gibbs was about to leave for the day when he got a text. He smiled as he read it, and Ducky looked up at him, noting his expression, and deduced that his old friend must have taken his advice. "So you talked to her, eh, Jethro?" he queried, quite pleased with himself.

Gibbs smirked at him. "No, Duck. I haven't yet." But he had spent the night with her, he thought rather smugly. Okay, maybe half the night. Still.

"And she's speaking to you?" That was surprising.

"She spent the night at my house. Nervous about going back to hers."

"Well, that's certainly understandable."

"She's there, now, making me dinner. Well, her kids are making dinner, actually." He was still a little perplexed about the whole thing, yet absurdly pleased.

Ducky raised a brow. "Well, then, what are you doing still here?"

Gibbs' grin spread quickly across his face. "Good point, Duck. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night, Jethro."

"'Night, Duck." And he was out the door.

Gibbs was struck with a feeling of unreality as he unlocked his front door. He didn't blame her or the kids for locking it and was glad they had. He wanted all of them to feel safe again, even though he knew that would probably take some time. If being here in his house helped to that end, he was glad for it.

He could hear cheerful voices in his kitchen and whatever they were cooking, it smelled wonderful. He walked in, realizing he was completely unable to keep the smile off of his face. The kids greeted him warmly, and he grinned at them, seeing them busy working while their mother sat in a chair at the table. He looked at her and wondered why this picture didn't bother him. "This is nice," he said, and Katherine smiled at him, glad he wasn't overwhelmed by all of it. Because she was, but in a good way.

Sammy was setting the table. "Sit, Jethro," she told him. "I hope you're hungry."

He sat. He made sure to sit across from Katherine so he could look at her while they ate. He was looking at her now. She looked rested, and he was glad. He knew she had slept well after moving to his bed. He had slept pretty well himself. She had a calming effect on him, which was strange, because he thought he may have a calming effect on her as well. He found himself wishing she would want to sleep with him again tonight. His gut was churning with anticipation, as a matter of fact, that he was trying very hard to ignore. Dinner was excellent, and when they were finished, Gibbs raised a brow at the comments on his lack of electronic equipment.

"How do you watch TV?" Sammy asked.

"I don't, if I can help it. But there's one right there."

"But it's so small!" Gibbs was looking like he took offense to that, and Katherine had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud.

"How do you watch movies?"

"I don't. I work on my boat."

"No DVD player? Really?"

He shrugged. "No DVDs."

"How do you surf the web?"

"I don't. I work on my boat."

"How do you check your e-mail? Your facebook?"

Now his expression must have conveyed his confusion, because Katherine couldn't hold her laughter back any longer. "What the hell's a facebook?" Even though he did have a general idea. It was too much fun messing with them, though, so he couldn't resist.

Now both of them were shaking their heads. "Fine. I guess we'll work on the boat. But this isn't over, Jethro."

They left the table with huge grins on their faces, and Gibbs looked at her, still shaking his head. "I understood about half of that conversation. And that's being generous."

And then he smiled at her. "Wanna see the boat?" And this man was deadly when he wanted to be. She was really surprised that he only had three ex-wives when he smiled at her like that. She was ready to stand in line.

The kids of course bounded down the stairs without thought, jostling each other as they raced for their favorite duties, and Gibbs and Katherine looked at each other and smiled. They descended slowly. Stairs were still treacherous for her, considering her vision wasn't the best out of her left eye yet, and her steps were unsteady, as her hip was still iffy. Gibbs reached for her left hand with his, and he wrapped the right around her shoulders, pulling her against his body and holding her steady against his side.

Katherine thought that made it even harder to put one foot in front of the other, even though she knew he was just trying to help. Her body where it met his was on fire, just that contact with his sending pure lust sparking through her bloodstream like an electric current. She could hardly breathe with him this close. His scent and his heat had her in a trance, and at the bottom he paused, checking her face to make sure she was all right. He stood just a few inches taller than she was, and as he turned to face her, she wanted nothing more than to lift up on her toes and kiss him.

It was all she could think of lately. She told herself he didn't think of her in that way, and if he did, it was because of his feelings for Agent Todd, not _her_, but her body wasn't listening, it seemed. Or if it was, it just didn't care. His hand came back from around her shoulders and slid down her arm to hers, the hot quick contact of skin on skin sending a jolt of awareness straight through her as he twined his fingers into hers. Dear Lord, even his hands were sexy! She was in big, big trouble.

Gibbs squeezed her fingers, gifting her with that boyish smile she adored. "Come on."

She walked with him, admiring the graceful lines of the boat, her brain registering and processing the fact that her children had already gotten to work and were here in the room with them right now, but the rest of her could only see Jethro Gibbs as he led her to a section and positioned himself behind her, practically wrapping himself around her as he put the sanding block into her hands. She could feel his warm breath on her neck as he guided her movements with his hands on hers and his entire body lining the back of hers.

It was so sensual, moving with him, feeling the hard muscles of his chest against her back, hearing his low, deep voice encouraging her so close to her ear that she waited in rapt anticipation for his mouth to glance it accidentally, _ohplease ohplease ohplease_! Her mind wandered with that for a bit, imagining his mouth closing over her earlobe, and then his teeth. Jesus! Why had she agreed to this, anyway?

Gibbs couldn't decide at the moment if this was heaven or hell. It was heaven being so close to her like this, feeling her muscles flex against his, underneath their clothes. And it was hell being this damn close and not being able to touch her like he wanted to. _Try it,_ that evil little voice in his head whispered. _Look at her—every inch of her is plastered to every inch of you. She's as desperate for this as you are. _

_Was_ _she?_ He turned his head a little, so that he could see her face, and he could see that she was chewing on her lip. He almost groaned. Damn it—he wanted to do that. His gaze fell to where her pulse beat under her skin at the base of her throat. It was extremely rapid.

He kept staring until she looked up into his face, and he could see her pupils were dilated. Hell. She _was _enjoying this as much as he was. That thought was almost his undoing. She looked at him quizzically, and he smiled. "Okay, doctor?" he queried her.

"Oh, yes," she purred, her voice soft and husky, and just that alone affected him instantly—enough so that he had to step back from her body or she was going to realize just how much she got to him.

He left her to it and moved to her side, reaching for his own block as she watched the muscles of his back flex under the thin cotton of his T-shirt and wanted to run her hands across them. And her tongue.

And then he was working next to her, the fine muscles of his hands flexing as he worked, and all she could think of was what those rough, calloused hands would feel like all over her body. They could be so gentle on her skin, and her mouth went dry as she thought of how they'd felt on the skin of her arm, and how good they'd feel elsewhere. Dear Lord. And they'd barely started. How could she possibly get through _hours _of this?

TBC…


End file.
